Results Based Management (Rbm): The Key To Successful Project/Programme Management

By Rudo Grace Gwata

Filled with insights from many years of experience and research based on observation, interviews and document review, Results Based Management (RBM): The Key to Successful Project/ Programme Management is written in a tone that makes it perfect for individual, group, national and international development stakeholders.

Although RBM is ordinarily fiercely belittled, degraded, resented and, accordingly, poorly implemented in many quarters, author Rudo Grace Gwata is convinced that the approach is one of the best things that ever happened to the field of management. The book clearly shows that, if implemented judiciously, RBM can consistently guarantee success in development project or programme implementation and ultimately improve the well-being of all stakeholders.

This definite “must have” book highlights the basics of the approach, its benefits, pre-requisites, common challenges and pitfalls as well as strategies for addressing the latter. Incorporating typical real life examples, it will:

Demonstrate why RBM should be the strategy of choice for executing any type of development project or programme, regardless of its nature, size or sector.

Help you, using the simplest terminology, to learn about the RBM concept from scratch or to refresh an existing knowledge base.

Be a useful handbook for day to day usage for implementing any type of project or programme.

It is indeed a wonderful resource for those who desire to make a difference, be a part of the journey towards reaching the highest potential and consistently improving livelihoods.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rudo Grace Gwata
• Release date: May 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463014509

Book preview

RESULTS BASED

MANAGEMENT (RBM):

THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL

PROJECT/PROGRAMME

MANAGEMENT

RESULTS BASED

MANAGEMENT (RBM):

THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL

PROJECT/PROGRAMME

MANAGEMENT

CONSISTENTLY

focus on CAUSING positive

change to GUARANTEE success

Rudo Grace Gwata

Copyright © 2019 Rudo Grace Gwata

Published by Rudo Grace Gwata Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Rudo Grace Gwata using Reach Publishers’ services,

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Edited by Nicola Jenvey for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

Website: www.reachpublishers.co.za

E-mail: [e-mail]

Rudo Grace Gwata

[e-mail]

Contents

Introduction A results based approach to life

Chapter 1 Common experiences with RBM

Chapter 2 The RBM concept

Chapter 3 The Rapid Results Approach (RRA)

Chapter 4 Benefits of implementing RBM

Chapter 5 The project cycle

Chapter 6 The primacy and institutionalisation of a culture of results

Chapter 7 Pre-requisites for effective implementation of RBM

Chapter 8 Common challenges, pitfalls and remedies

Appendix Key RBM terminology

Acknowledgements

References and Bibliography

About the author

Introduction

A results based approach to life

This book is born of a strong conviction that people and organisations often fail to reach their maximum potential in life, due to adopting a less-than-optimal approach to life that focuses on accomplishments related to completing activities and the delivery of products and services. From early childhood, people are often asked what they want to be when they grow up; meaning the professions they aspire to pursue. During my youth, I lived in a village. There were very few professions that I was aware existed. These included teacher, nurse, doctor, storekeeper, driver and conductor (mostly limited to buses) or air hostess (if one was fortunate to have heard about airplanes). Therefore, my vision career-wise was limited to these professions. As I grew, the range of career paths expanded to include manager, mechanic and university graduate. According to my children, grandchildren, teacher friends and acquaintances, this question about what one wants to be one day, is still asked in school today except there is a wider range of professions available from which to choose and mostly attainable at graduate-school level. The core question is what discipline does one choose to pursue at tertiary-level education? The focus is thus on becoming a (position), doing or acquiring something. Consequently, for a great many students albeit not everyone, the moment such qualification is attained, the individual has contentment in having arrived and ordinarily does not see the need for further advancement.

Sadly, these individuals often carry this mindset into the organisations in which they work and their social and business environments, contributing to shaping the related socio-economic culture. Examples of goals set by individuals at first include the profession to be pursued; level of education to be attained; property to be acquired and then also levels of profit, expenditure and production as goals relating to the organisation depicted in their shared visions and missions. In the same context, higher education institutions want to excel and lead in the area of research through several forums, including hosting research conferences and awarding scholarships. Religious groups set goals regarding the levels of growth of congregations, in absolute membership, or number of assemblies achieved through witnessing programmes.

Personally, based on my own personal research through observation and experience, I have come to the conclusion that all goals set within a culture that highlights processes and their completion, present shortcomings, in terms of sustaining real growth and development. This is because once these goals are attained; the entity sees no need for further efforts towards improvement, growth or development. The associated acquisitions, attainments or positions are incorrectly regarded as ends in themselves when consistently endeavouring to solve problems facing society is the noble end on which entities ought to focus. Entities limit their potential to reach a fairly accessible existing world of prospects.

A proposed solution

It is more rewarding and satisfying to contribute towards making a difference, thereby improving people’s lives rather than becoming or having. A lifelong focus on making a difference is possible if, from childhood, one is taught to develop a culture of results focusing on the changes to which they want to contribute. Hence, they identify their roles and necessary resources to make those changes. People, processes and organisations are judged by their levels of change rather than what they did or produced. Underlying this practice is knowing we reap what we sow and people can effectively make a difference when they focus on that goal. This is the paradigm shift.

From personal research and experience, I learned that applying the Results Based Management (RBM) principles entails making a difference and consistently improving on the current state or situation. Stakeholders concentrate on changes in people’s lives due to something that has happened or been produced